Another day

Sitting in the kitchen, breakfast finished. Kids getting dressed upstairs, so I'm grabbing a couple of minutes to update the blog. Thursdays are always busy - Milo is not in nursery, so we're off to the creche, after we've dropped Philippa at the station, and Marnie at school. Then there's Rainbows in the afternoon, and on top of everything else, it's world book day, so costumes are being worn.
I'm hoping it's a slightly better day than yesterday, weather-wise. We somehow managed to get caught in an insane hailstorm yesterday, and my trusty Spiewak Parka had to be deployed, as it was so bitterly cold.
And there was me, thinking that spring was on the way.

A little relief

Well, the ligaments in my hand seem to be sprained, and not torn. That's pretty good news, and spares me the hassle of surgery (always a nuclear option, but one I was keen to avoid).
The downside is that, as the swelling subsides, the actual twinges of pain in my hand are slightly more intense. Time to grin and bear it, I guess.
Today? Need to tie up some loose ends around the JJ tour in November, and do some general life-laundry. I've been using Priority Matrix of late, but i'm still undecided as to whether it's helping me become more productive. That just might be a battle that software alone, can never win.
Music-wise, i'm determined to listen to Red Noise today. What an album. Can I just go on record here and say: it's all about the endings.

In the wars.

I'm off to the hospital this morning - hurrah.
Due to a bike crash a week ago, I've got ligament damage in my hand, between the thumb and forefinger. I'm left-handed, and it's amazing how much movement, and ability you lose, as a result of even a minor injury. Apparently surgery is an option, though I'm clinging to the hope that some physiotherapy will suffice. I'll keep you posted.

Gah.

Can't believe I got that blog post title wrong, what was I thinking? Told you it was all about immediacy, didn't I?
Well, that, and brainfarts.
Unto the breach. Apologies to the bard.

And - to take relaxation to a logical extreme...

This particular piece of....music? Ambient experimentation? Well, this piece of....whatever, has been a constant companion for many years. There are times when I'll just fire it up, and let it wash over me.
Back in the days when we were touring the world, things always got a little...hectic, from time to time. So, this was my antidote. I had a CD of "rain forest" noises, but that was just cheesy, rainfall ended up like so much white noise, so eventually, my meditative experience was defined by this. It's an hour of de-tuned bells, an hour of blissful, droning wonder.I had a CD of it (still have it, somewhere), and whenever I felt the need, I could put it on the discman, and drift off. For the proper effect, you need to focus on the sound - and allow yourself to let go. Trust me, it does work, but now I sound like a dreadful old hippy, don't I?
Oh well.

Dear diary..

So, if I'm to genuinely keep this blog up to date, and relevant, it would seem that I've got to keep the updates coming. I've got to try and keep the content flowing. Also, one of the things that really motivated me  to blog, and which doesn't apply to my other social media sites is immediacy. With Westway, I always just tried - desperately - to write exactly what I wanted, at that particular time. no re-writes, no drafts, as little tinkering as possible.
With my facebook page (and a lot of other people's as well) I've noticed that there's a "house style", a particular way of presenting things. I've come to believe it affects your ability to speak clearly, and honestly. So many people's views to respect, so many thinks to contend with.
If you like, facebook - perhaps the ultimate "personal" site, has become an exercise in public speaking. It's measured, and considered.
I like the fact that here, I can just type, and talk.
So, what's going on today? Well, not much. I'm sub-editing posts on the CDNX website (my new job - I'll post more about that soon), and I'm heading off to pick up Marnie from her after-school club soon. I've dined on egg-fried rice, I've tidied the house. I've moved some furniture, I've organised, and sat peacefully in the kitchen, looking out into the garden.
The house is silent, but not for long, so I'm wallowing in that peace, for just a little bit.

Once more, into the breach...

It's another one of those posts. Yet another one which says, dejectedly: "oh, it's been far too long".
But it has.

So, what to do? I toyed with the idea of winding this blog up. So many of the people who inspired my first attempts at blogging have themselves, given up. It can feel a little lonely, that's for sure. But, this blog has documented so much of my life, that i'm reluctant to drop it. But, to counter that, facebook has stripped it of some much which feels important - the sharing of images, photos, funny news, music i'm loving at that precise moment. The immediacy, the rush of creativity I used to be able to grasp by blogging - all of that has migrated elsewhere. So - what's the answer?
Well, Westway was always a haven for me, somewhere I could always be confessional, candid, and a little more measured.
My other web presence has ended up up being quite splintered: I have linkedin for professional stuff (yeah right, just like everyone says) my facebook for daily life, twitter for random things. I still have a valuable group of friends who came via friendfeed, and that's another part of who I am, on line.
But this little page? Well, I can strip away so much, and end up with....?
Well, a diary, I guess.
As I entered 2016, I felt myself changing slightly. I drink less, I organise more. I own fewer things, I want for even less. And I need to document, again.
So - could my little blog give me the chance to do that? Well, it would be nice if it could. Let's see, shall we?

Back to Vinyl.

I like it when little obsessions raise their head, and I'm in the throes of one at the moment. My mission? revisit the albums of my youth. I have a turntable in the kitchen (Well, two to be more accurate - a pair of 1210's).
So, I can play vinyl, and frequently do. Though I've got itunes match and spotify up the wazoo, there's something great about vinyl. However, this is where I deviate slightly from the purists. I like to play it. A lot. That means a pile of albums, next to the deck, getting a little dog-eared. Slap the album on, play it, throw it back in its sleeve. There's certainly no blind reverence for the format, no mention of "oh, it just sounds so much....warmer, you know?" I just like being surrounded by the totems of my youth, the stepping stones towards my musical awakening. So far, the pile includes "Dawn Of The Dickies" (I'm waiting for a copy of "The incredible Shrinking Dickies), at least four Floyd albums (including "Atom Heart Mother"), both Gloria Mundi albums, early Ultravox!, and The first Clash album. That last one was my first ever album, and is still the copy I bought over thirty five years ago. The rest? I'm collection copes off ebay, where needed. They have to be the original issues (so they look and feel the same way they always did), but  I'm not fussed about overall condition - after all, I'm normally replacing worn-out copies, and I just want them to be playable. So far - it's been a 99p mission - that seems to be the going rate for a lot of the albums I need. What a bargain. Right, I'm off to listen to "Secondhand Daylight".

The band rears its head once more.

First Jesus Jones gig of the year is now 5 days away. There are still two rehearsals to go, a lot of sample tweaking, and some logistical niggles to get sorted (OK - how do I get hold of all the merch I need in time?)
However, it's great to be doing it again. Having Gen back on the drumstool has mad a huge difference - it feels like the heartbeat is back. Gen plays sharp, tight, and with a lot of power - but there's a groove, and a shuffle to songs like "IBYT" which just makes the song what it should be. I was driving home after the last rehearsal thinking how lucky I am to have found this other family, which has defined so much of my life, taken me around the world, and opened my eyes. We're closer now than we've ever been, and that makes me very happy.

Lager, under threatening skies.

It's one of those odd spring days, today. The skies were clear an hour ago, and now are full of rain, the fat drops just beginning to smack onto the patio. I've just been out to check on the garden - crikey, it's looking good. The Roses are now budding, the lavender is rich and green. The Santolina is fluffy and yellow, the macrophylla a mass of tiny flowers. I'd not really been much of a gardener until I moved here, but it's become a huge part of who I am. I'm going to celebrate with a glass of beer while I cook dinner.

Tired.

Where do the days go? I've spent most of this one in front of a DAT machine, digitising old Jones demos. So far, I've done about fifty tracks, and there must be at lest two hundred more. Tomorrow, it's time to fire Kontakt up, and check that the systems are working ok. The first gig if the year is nearly upon us. 

End of the week

It's been a good day, today. Lots of organising re: the Jones gig (checking the crew, emailing the festival for parking info - all the glamorous stuff. Also saw Neil, our video guru, and got a working DAT machine sorted. That means I've sorted another tranche of demos for the *ahem* secret project. It's looking good, that's all I'm saying for now. I'm now sat on the sofa, while Milo eats a biscuit, watching the clouds roll over the back garden. Nearly time to get that bath run, and get M to bed. Then? Perhaps a curry. I've eaten it once today, so why not do it again? With Indian food, more is more.

Sevens.

How time flies, and changes. I'm sitting in bed, playing sevens. Sevens was perhaps THE card game of my youth, always played with my family. Divide the cards between four, seven of diamonds leads, then you go up and down from the seven cards of each suit, depending what you have in your hand. The aim is to stifle your opponents- hang on to the card that will allow them to play. It's simple, devious and a lot of fun. Now, I'm playing it on an app, and blogging about it via my ipad. Then, we wre huddled around the piano stool, laying cards onto the velvet lid. 

OK, OK........let's try once more.

I't s been too long. I really have neglected this little blog of mine, which seems a shame, after all we've been through. So, i'm going to try again. In the last few years, i've shared so much via facebook, or friendfeed, or twitter - so the posts I used to make seem redundant. Yet, I miss the more personal nature of the blog - it seems so much more cathartic, than just posting a photo on facebook. Plus, I like the fact that it's now - rather quaintly - a bit old-school. So that makes me like it even more. I'm even going to roll back to an old-school layout. Ha! take that, Web 2.0.

Time flying, again.

So, it's a Monday morning, I'm sitting in the playroom, kettle boiling for the bottles, getting the house up to speed. Milo is on his way downstairs with his Mum - and we're off to his 'settling in" session at nursery today. Quite amazing that this amount of time has passed already. Where did all those eight months go?
Busy day today, as I'm looking after him for most of the day, and attempting to tie up loose ends for the JJ tour as well. Need to plot for evening meal too - there's some leftover Brisket that is just crying out to become the best Ragu of all time.